How can Anatolians and Kangal Dogs be different breeds if their breed standards are the same?
The reason for the similarities between the two standards lies in the early history of the Anatolian “breed”. The founder of the Anatolian Shepherd Dog breed brought home a pair of dogs after a military tour of duty in Turkey, and these were the first dogs he had ever owned. He had no idea whether Turkish sheep dogs were recognized as a breed inside or outside Turkey. But after breeding a litter of puppies, the breeder, and owners of the first litter, decided to name their breed and get it recognized. They were neophytes to this process, and sought help in getting started. First they asked around to find out if anyone else had attempted to get western breed-club recognition for Turkish dogs. By writing to the British Kennel Club, they found that there was indeed a club involved in breeding Turkish Karabash (i.e. Kangal) dogs and had obtained Kennel Club recognition for the breed. When the ASD founders asked for and got a copy of the breed standard for the Karabash dog, they of course r
